


white jade and plums

by drelfina



Series: A Very Chinese ABO [7]
Category: Joy of Life, Joy of Life (TV), 庆余年 | Joy of Life (TV), 庆余年 | Qing Yu Nian (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Gen, Sexual Harassment, a very chinese ABO, have some brocon, hints of issues within abo, intense creepy brocon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24585253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drelfina/pseuds/drelfina
Summary: As soon as he heard that Guo Baokun, staunch and loud follower of his brother the Crown Prince, had been beaten in the middle of the night, he'd known that Fan Xian would be dragged into court. Chengze knew he was to go down; he'd almost given the order for Bi'an to set up a pavilion in the adjacent street to wait.When he heardwhohad been dragged in as a witness, however, Chengze knew he had to make a personal appearance, because hisdearbrother would definitely be there.in which Chengze tries to block one of the moves of his brother's.
Relationships: Li Chengqian/Li Chengze (Unrequited), Li Chengze & Si Lili, fan xian/si lili (implied)
Series: A Very Chinese ABO [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761676
Comments: 13
Kudos: 20





	white jade and plums

**Author's Note:**

  * For [evocates](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evocates/gifts).



> Based on Episode 13, ie the courtroom scene. 
> 
> trigger warnings:  
> essentially sexual harassment, non-consensual brocon, torture, talk of torture, typical chinese period drama torture, etc.

As soon as he heard that Guo Baokun, staunch and loud follower of his brother the Crown Prince, had been beaten in the middle of the night, he'd known that Fan Xian would be dragged into court. Chengze knew he was to go down; he'd almost given the order for Bi'an to set up a pavilion in the adjacent street to wait.

When he heard _who_ had been dragged in as a witness, however, Chengze knew he had to make a personal appearance, because his _dear_ brother would definitely be there.

He saw the Crown Prince's servants and the umbrella just outside, as he'd left Bi'an to watch the gates, and was completely unsurprised. 

He didn't need any of the mess that came with being an Imperial Prince - clapping loudly to catch all of the courtroom's attention as he walked over the threshold. 

"What an excellent use of interrogation!" he called out. 

Everyone else immediately got to their feet to bow, even the Magistrate Mei. Except Si Lili and his brother.

He clapped his hand on Fan Xian's shoulder, and strode past the shimmer of bitter-salt and the lily scent of Si Lili. He couldn't pay attention to her, not now; couldn't even afford to look reassuring, when he felt his brother's eyes on him.

"Don't bother with formalities," he said, as he walked across the courtroom, towards the dias where the Crown Prince sat. "while the Crown Prince is here, there's no reason to kneel to me, is there?" 

The Crown Prince's gaze was like stinging needles as he stepped up to the dias, and he got to his knees in front of his brother, folding his hands in the salute as deliberately strict as he could. 

"Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Prince," he said, immediately casting his eyes down, and folding himself down in formality so perfect that he _knew_ the Crown Prince could read the sarcasm loud and clear. 

He braced himself for what would come next: his brother got up, leaned down, and his hands curled _firmly_ on Chengze's arms, pulling him up. " _My dear_ second brother," the Crown Prince said, his scent spreading out, focusing on _Chengze_ , too-sharp citrus notes all but slapping him in the face, " _how_ many times have I told you this is _hardly_ necessary." 

"But you're the Heir apparent." Chengze straightened at the touch _immediately_ , but his brother's touch lingered, a casual brush along the length of his arms until he could pull his hands in a little closer, away. He still had to keep his gaze straight to the Crown Prince, and say absolutely nothing about that touch. "The formalities have to be observed." 

The Crown Prince smiled, his eyes dark and _focused_ on Chengze's. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "What are you here for?" 

"I'm here to observe the wisdom and might of my brother the Crown Prince," Chengze said, careful to keep his back straight and unaffected. "When the Crown Prince comes to court, why, even the Court of the Capital City has to listen to him. I cannot help but be impressed." 

The Crown Prince laughed coolly, still looking at him. "Magistrate Mei is the judge, I am merely an observer." 

"Is that so?" He glanced over to the judge - the old man looked like he was about to die from fright. 

"Yes, yes that's so," the Judge said, still not straightened up from his bow to him. 

"Didn't I hear the case was closed? Why is it suddenly opened up again?" 

The poor bastard glanced to the Crown Prince. "This - that is …" 

"Go on," the Crown Prince said, his scent rising up in smug challenge, and Chengze kept his tightly wound in, hands firmly by his sides. 

"I - Your Highness, I was the one who decided to re-open the case, it has nothing to do with the Crown Prince." 

Really. Anyone with eyes could see that his brother's presence was why this case, with only Guo Baokun's auditory evidence that the man who had hit him had claimed he was Fan Xian, while Fan Xian had a corroborated alibi with Si Lili, had been re-opened. Because the Crown Prince _wanted it so_. 

"Of course, that's up to you, this is your court," Chengze said, flippantly. "I am merely here to observe." 

So he ended up on the magistrate's other side, pointedly not looking at his brother or the magistrate - and only looking at Fan Xian. 

He could feel Si Lili look at him. 

Stare at him. 

"Interrogate her!" the Magistrate said.

And when Fan Xian protested, Si Lili stumbled up, clinging to Fan Xian, crying out piteously, "I wouldn't be able to repay your kindness, Young Master!" 

And when they pulled out the bamboo to crush Si Lili's fingers between them, He could only clench his jaw. 

Because he could _feel_ his brother's gaze, hungry and vicious now.

The Crown Prince had never spoken to Si Lili, it wasn't personal vengeance or thwarted desire. Others might say it was because he was trying to force Fan Xian's hand - the young Alpha was clearly distraught at the torture of an _omega_ in front of him. For him. 

But Chengze didn't need to look to his brother to know his expression. 

Si Lili was the Capital's most exclusive omega escort. 

She and Chengze were nothing alike - she might be exclusive and highly desirable, but she was still an _escort_ , while Chengze was a Prince. 

He knew precisely who his brother was seeing kneeling on that floor, nevertheless.

* * *

(She had not lied to Fan Xian: she had her own reasons to withstand the torture, one of which was to prove to herself that she _could_ ; that she wasn't one of those hothouse flowers that Nanqing liked to think all of its omegas to be. She had steel in her spine; she had fangs hidden beneath painted lips; she was more hidden dagger than embroidered flower, more Chen Pingping than Li Chengze.

Her heart was not so large, and her kindness not so vast, that she would willingly throw herself forward as a substitute to be tortured so that the Crown Prince could slake some of his lusts for the Second Prince with the sight of her pain. She had her own reasons for withstanding the bamboo's cruel crush of her seemingly-delicate fingers, letting out only tiny whimpers.

But she could not help but remember all those moments when the Second Prince had sat with them, a piece of precious white jade among common porcelain, and laughed over tea and fruits he had brought for them to try. She could not help but remember the way his eyes had widened at some of the novels the other girls had brought, the way he had slapped his hands over his eyes like a scandalised child. 

He wasn't, she knew. The Second Prince, no matter how kind, was still one of the Imperial family, and his father had been the one to chase hers out of the capital and into Beiqi's waiting knives. She knew the cruelty of the current Emperor well enough.

Still, she watched him sit there, stiff and barely a metre apart from the brother whose desire for him was known to every omega with eyes and a working mind, and thought: no, she could not put Li Chengze as the opposing point to Chen Pingping at all.)

* * *

Si Lili stifled her cries -- tiny choked noises of pain that obviously stabbed Fan Xian in the chest. 

She kept to her story - that Fan Xian had been with her on the boat that night, therefore Fan Xian couldn't have committed assault and battery.

"Still lying!" the Magistrate yelled, and Chengze could _feel_ thick waves of satisfaction from his brother's side, choking him with the scent of lemon and pomelo. "Harder-!" 

"Magistrate Mei," Chengze said, voice pitched to be loud and clear across the entire courtroom and beyond the door. He kept his gaze to Fan Xian's. "This lady is a witness, not a criminal, or even the accused." He had to keep his hands in a loose curl on his knees. 

"How is it that a mere question from you earns her such harsh treatment?" 

His brother's attention snapped to Chengze, intent and focused like the height of summer, and Chengze kept his gaze steady on Fan Xian. 

The man looked slightly confused. That was alright. He could handle himself .

Si Lili's gasps were strangled, soft pitched and flavoured with pain. 

"You're right, of course, you're right -" the judge said, and Chengze smiled, all teeth. 

"Fine," the Crown Prince said, technically to the court, but his attention was still on Chengze - he could all but feel the gaze on his throat. 

The mark that Bi'an had left on him two nights ago was still visible, and it burned under the Crown Prince's scrutiny. 

Chengze tipped his chin up further. "So it seems like Guo Baokun was mistaken; it wasn't Fan Xian who had assaulted him after all." 

They had to let Si Lili go. 

Chengze didn't look at her, though he knew that her fingers were bruised, swollen. They weren't broken, and her skill wasn't in music but poetry and conversation, so at least her official occupation wasn't compromised. 

She knew the risk she'd taken, when she had agreed to see Fan Xian because he was accompanied by Chengze's cousin Li Hongcheng that night. 

That she was willing to take this punishment and risk in order to give Fan Xian his alibi, when Chengze and his cousin _knew_ that Fan Xian hadn't been present on the boat with Si Lili, well Chengze was going to say nothing of it. 

He too knew the risk he was taking in snaring his brother's attention to him, splitting it from Fan Xian. 

He couldn't stand Si Lili's soft pained sobs. 

And then the Crown Prince dragged out Fan Xian's little friend, Teng Zijing. "Tell me, _Second Brother_ , who do you think this is?" The smile the Crown Prince directed at him across the courtroom was rapacious, a palpable thing that clawed up Chengze's neck. 

"So," he said, forcing a smile on his face and getting up to regard the poor, ill-fated bastard Teng Zhijing. Fan Xian's gaze and Alpha scent had gone from shocked to angry and really, what could Chengze do? "We find the real culprit." 

He could save Si Lili from torture. 

But he couldn't save a man who pretended to be dead and thus could be considered to have lied to the Emperor by his having the temerity of still being alive. He couldn't save him from the Crown Prince having dug up and captured him well in advance of the court case.

"But how can you say that the culprit is here? After all this is Fan Xian's subordinate!" 

"And maybe he was the one who beat up the Young Master Guo and framed Fan Xian," Chengze said, facing his brother. 

"Is that so?" the Crown Prince smirked, folded his arms smugly behind him and prowled - no, paced - close enough to brush his shoulders against Chengze's. 

Chengze refused to react, stayed still despite the icy shiver that ran up his spine. Particularly when his brother paced behind him. Having the Crown Prince to his back had him all but hold his breath. 

"Did he not," the Crown Prince said, to their cousin, "attend your poetry meeting with Fan Xian? Cousin." 

Chengze didn't look back; he knew his cousin could say nothing but the truth. 

"That is so." 

It was too true, too tight a story, and Chengze had no cards in his hand to gainsay his brother's argument, only able to turn and sit on the dias steps. His movement pulled his brother's attention back to him; the Crown Prince turned and stalked closer, bending almost close enough to touch. 

"So," he said, looking straight at Chengze. "Fan Xian was lying about the man's death, using him as a guard, and basically lying to the Emperor." 

Which was treason. 

It was with strong discipline and restraint that Chengze didn't bare his teeth at him, his smile sharp and tight. 

He could only snap up straight, stalk to the Judge's side, his brother following with a smile like orange oil, sharp and acrid. He didn't look to his brother when the Crown Prince settled on the Judge's other side, and could only stare ahead.

He could do nothing. There was no argument he could make. He could only buy time by attracting his brother's attention -- and in the end, Teng Zhijing would die. 

And Teng Zhijing, stupid hero, tried to claim it was his own doing, his own threats, that had forced Fan Xian to bring him to the capital and pretend he was dead. 

"But Fan Xian could have asked for help. In fact, he took this man to the poetry gathering, didn't he? He met _you_ , dear Second brother, in the poetry gathering. Didn't he?" 

What could he say but yes? "Indeed," Chengze said, and hated how he had to allow that sly, smug smile of approval from his brother. 

"And therefore," the Crown Prince said triumphantly, "Fan Xian is _guilty_." 

Fan Xian wasn't impressed nor cowed. "So whether I'm guilty of beating up Guo Baokun or not, you're intent on finding me guilty of _something_." 

"Based on your poetic talents, we can let you off," the Crown Prince said, generous as a snake, and Chengze curled his hands tight against his knees. He could hear his brother just fine -- that he'd _won_ in this battle, for the Neiku, that he'd destroyed and removed a potential pawn of Chengze's. 

Nevermind that Chengze already knew Fan Xian had no intentions of marrying Wan'er for the Neiku - he wanted the omega girl with the chicken drumstick.

He'd known that Fan Xian would have been useful to Chengze, in some way, and that… that. 

Another man lost. Another loyal bodyguard gone. 

"But I'm getting tired," the Crown Prince said, leaning almost past the magistrate to smile at Chengze, his scent thickening with all those sharp acid notes, and Chengze could not move away. "We should conclude this quickly. Do you have anything more to add? Second Brother." 

Chengze's smile was very tight, but he refused to look at his brother. 

"Then lets get some answers out of him," the Crown Prince said, and his gaze was definitely scalding down Chengze's neck. 

Chengze had to brace for the sight of torture of someone Chengze couldn't do anything to help -- right until their Father's personal eunuch showed up to tell all the Princes to go the fuck home. 

"Oh, Your Highness," Fan Xian said, when the Crown Prince turned to leave, his triumph snatched out of his grasp, "do you happen to know anything about the attempted assasination of myself while I was in Danzhou?" 

Chengze's brother turned to give Fan Xian a _vicious look_. 

And Chengze all but laughed, gave Fan Xian a thumbs up behind his brother's back and _left_. 

Bi'an joined him as he exited the magistrate's courtroom. 

"Remember to send a basket of fruit to the Drunken Immortal," Chengze said. "Which fruit do we have that is out of season now?" 

He didn't wait for Bi'an's answer, widening his stride. It was late for plums, but they were Si Lili's favourite. 

They should still have some in the stores.

* * *

(Alone in his study, the Qing Emperor strung and restrung one of his least favourite bows. 

He knew about his dearest _heir apparent's_ lusts for his only omega son, of course: he was neither blind nor stupid, no matter how much it would serve the former for him to be. That was not to say that his supposed heir was arrogant enough to think himself smarter than his father; the Emperor would prefer it if he did, because that would prove him a clever child. And while he had some modicum of intelligence - enough to notice the discrepancy of Teng Zhijing's death and send people to pursue that particular thread, and then to hunting the man down and arresting him as a planned masterstroke - he wasn't of enough calibre to merit that particular descriptor.

In any case, he knew about those unnatural lusts. Eunuch Hou tried to keep himself from Imperial affairs, pretending to know nothing except proprieties - especially after the Emperor had given him a warning about overstepping his bounds - but he had never saved his opinions when asked. And when a castrated beta like the Eunuch with his blunted sense of smell could nearly choke on the thick scent of oranges that heralded the Crown Prince's presence...

Well.

Emperors could be excused for some eccentricities, he thought, hanging the bows back on their original hooks. And it wasn't possible for him to demote the Crown Prince based on the Imperial family's dirty laundry. A pity, really.

Luckily, the boy was helping his father get rid of him: he had interfered, this time, with the law that the Imperial family was supposed to uphold. Whether or not they did so was another matter; he went below and beyond the law in ways that were expressly forbidden. And with that one wrong move...

There would be others. And once enough have accumulated...

Why, those noisy officials of his might stage protests for him to change his heir, and they might even insist on him doing so. Even if the only alternative was his omega son.)

**Author's Note:**

> evocates wrote si lili's thoughts, and the last scene of the emperor's. :D evocates is the best.


End file.
